The U.S. Senate passed a bill aimed at punishing China for keeping the yuan undervalued, triggering a backlash from Chinese officials who said the measure risks damaging trade relations and undermining the global recovery.

Diplomatic ties between the world’s second- and third-biggest economies soured as China escalated a dispute over Japan’s extended detention of a fishing boat captain for a collision in disputed waters.

China’s government responded to protests in some of the country’s cities on Feb. 20 by saying it was the “common aspiration” of its people to seek stability and social harmony. China’s Foreign Ministry Spokesman Ma Zhaoxu made the comments to reporters in Beijing today.

South Korea broadcast a pop song extolling freedom of choice and a warning on the dangers of overeating into North Korea, ending a six-year moratorium on propaganda in retaliation for the sinking of a warship.